sell us a pair for just under $2,000. in china, they would sell for up to 10 times that price. essam shared a special trick for smuggling ivory that he told us his chinese customers had taught him: spray-painting it to make it look like wood or metal. it's easily removed later on with nail polish remover. what we have seen here is part of a global trade in smuggled ivory. and experts say that what's driving it is wealthy chinese, who prize ivory as a status symbol. in the same cairo market, we found several other ivory traders operating openly. what about something as big as this? along with some of their chinese customers. one shop owner told us this his clients included chinese officials who had visited egypt on state business. >> the special airplane going back -- >> reporter: you get chinese government officials? >> yes. >> reporter: they bought from you? >> yeah. >> reporter: the egyptian government makes periodic attempts to confiscate illegal tusks. they are locked up inside this museum store room. that's heavy. bu